Electric-circuit closer.



' No. 794.220. I PATENTED JULY 11; 1905.

M. GUBTT.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1903.

UNITED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT EErcE.

MONROE GUETT, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HART & HEGEMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,220, dated July 11, 1905.

Application filed November 4, 1903- Serial No.'179,824:.

To (1.7]. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONROE Court, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Circuit Closers, of which the following is a specification.

It is common in many instances*such, for example, as with automobiles and launches IO having explosiveengincsto have two or more batteries arranged to be switched in alternatel y or consecutively for the purpose of providing the ignition sparks. It is usual to provide the circuits of such ignition-batteries 5 with a switch, also with a plug which can be removed, so that the engine cannot be started by an unauthorized person.

This invention relates to a circuit-closer which can be operated as desired to switch in or out the battery and which can be instantly rendered inoperative.

The object of the invention is to provide a circuit-closer which can be easily and quickly turned to switch in and out either of a plural 5 number of batteries and which can be instantly rendered inoperative by the removal of the switching-plug.

A circuit-closer embodying this invention has a plug which can be moved to switch in 3 or outeither of the batteries and which can be detached when desired, so that either of the circuits cannot be closed.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a plan of a rotatory circuit-closer that embodies the invention with the .plug omitted.

Fig. 2 shows a section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1 with the plug in place and turned so as to connect two of the terminals. Fig. 3 shows a bottom view 4 of this form of circuit-closer. Fig. at shows a plan of an oscillatory form of circuit-closer which embodies the invention with the plug omitted. Fig. 5 shows a section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 4 with the plug in the off position. Fig. 6 is a bottom View of the modified form. Fig. 7 is an edge view of the plugretaining plate. Fig. 8 is a plan of the plug of the modified form. Fig. 9 is a section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 9 9 of Fig. t. 5

The rotatory form of switch shown has a metal plate 1 and an insulating-cylinder 2, held together by screws 3. The plate shown is rectangular in outline and on its outer face, which may be finished in any desired manner, has numbers that indicate the several circuits, as 1, 2, and the word Off, which indicates when the circuits are open. Through the center of the plate is an opening4l for the plug 5, which has a lug 6 projecting from one side. The opening 4; is made oblong, so that the plug can only be inserted or removed when in one position. The plug preferably has a handle 7 extending on one side, so as to indicate the position of the lug projecting 5 from the plug.

Extending radially in the cylinder near the plate are contact-pins 8. The inner ends of these pins extend into a recess 9, in which the lug 6 turns When the plug is in position, and 7 the outer ends of these pins thrust against spring-fingers 10. The ends of these fingers are connected with terminal plates 11, that are provided with binding-screws 12.

At the bottom end of the insulating-cylin- 7 S der is a spring-plate 13, which is connected with a terminal plate 14, that is provided with a binding-screw 15.

Then the plug is thrust through the plate and cylinder, its inner end makes contact with the spring-plate 13. If the handle is turned so that it extends over the word Off, the lug projecting from the plug does not make contact with either of the pins 8. If the handle is turned so as to project toward the figure 5 l, the lug engages one of the pins, so that metallic connection is formed betw cen the terminal plate on one side and the neutral terminal plate. If the handle is turned toward the figure 2, the lug engages with the other 9 I pin and metallic connection is formed between the other outside terminal plate and the neutral terminal plate. When the plug is turned, the lug, which can be made to engage with either of the pins, so as to close the desired circuit, or to be out of engagement with either of the pins, so that both circuits are open. turns beneath and is retained by the plate.

To remove the plug, it is only necessary to turn the handle around until the lug can be drawn through the oblong opening in the plate. After the plug is removed neither of the circuits can be closed without the insertion of a plug which has a corresponding lug--- block is a metal plate 21, having two downwardly-turned lugs 22, arranged on the are of a circle on one edge. In a socket in the insulating-block is a pin 23, which is normally thrust upwardly by a spring 24:, that is in contact with the terminal plate 19. The upper end of this pin is pointed and is adapted to project into a little recess in the under side of the plug 25. The plug, which has a handle 26, by means of which it may be turned, is thrust between theinsulating-block and the plate until the point of this pin snaps into the recess. Then the plug can be oscillated with this pin as its pivot. \Vhen it is turned to one side or the other, one of the lugs 22 ex tends downwardly from the plate into a depression 27, formed in the plug, so that the plug cannot be withdrawn. \V hen in its cent'al position between the lugs, a sharp pull will withdraw the inner end of the plug from the point of the pivot-pin. A pin 28, with a spring 29 thrusting against a plate 30, is arranged to retain the plug in its central position.

in sockets in the block each side of the center are upwardlypressed spring-pins 31. These pins are connected with the terminal plates 17. \Vhen the plug is inserted and turned to one side, metallic connection is made by means of the spring pivot-pin, the plug, and one of the side pins between the neutral terminal and one of the outside terminals. WVhen the plug is turned to the other side, the other outside terminal is connected with the neutral terminal by means of the plug and pins. \Vhen the plug is in its central position, neither of the circuits is closed. .It' the plug is removed, the circuits cannot be closed unless a plug of a similar shape is used, for the reason that no connection can be made between the central pivotpin and either oi the side pins unless a plug having such a depression as that shown is used.

The sizes, shapes, and locations oi the lugs on the plugs of the rotatory form of circuitcloser or the depressions in the plugs of the oscillatory form of circuit-closer may, if desired, be varied so that diti'erent circuit-closers cannot be operated by one plug.

As a result of this invention a circuit-closer is produced which is easily openethwhich cannot be surreptitiously closed, and yet which operates simply to close either of several circuits, as desired.

The invention claimed is- 1. An electric-circuit closer having a corn cealed insulated neutral circuitterminal and several other insulated circuit-terminals, and a key which can be removed from the circuit closer and which when in place makes connection with the neutral terminal and can he turned so as to form an electrical connection between the neutral terminal and either of the other terminals, substantially as specified.

2. An electric-circuit closer having a concealed insulated neutral circuit-terminal and several other insulated circuit-terminals, and a removable colulueting-key which when thrust into the circuit-closer engages the neutral terminal and when in place can be turned so as to engage either 01'' the other terminals, substantially as specilied.

3. An electric-circuit closer having a concealed insulated circuit-terminal and several other circuit-terminals, and a remrwable key which when thrust into the circuit-closer engages the neutral terminal and when in the circuit-closer can be rotated to make such contacts as will provide an electrical path from the neutral terminal to either of the other ter minals, substantially as specified.

1. An electric-circuit closer having several circuit-terminals, a rotatable plug adapted to be connected with or disconnected from one of the terminals, spring-pins connected with the other terminals and adapted to be engaged by the plug as it is turned from one position to another, substantially as specilied.

H A am R. 1V1 LLIAMS, E'rn'nr. M. Lows.

ICC 

